


Spiral

by the_dagger_demon



Series: Taken tales [2]
Category: Destiny (Video Games)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alcohol, Casino Royale style, Drifter in a suit? Damn, Drug Use, Explicit Language, F/M, Hot Eliksni moment? What, Humor, Slightly Teratophilia, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-01
Updated: 2020-11-07
Packaged: 2021-03-08 21:07:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 9,552
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27333154
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_dagger_demon/pseuds/the_dagger_demon
Summary: "Vodka Martini, shaken not stirred."
Relationships: The Drifter (Destiny)/Reader, The Drifter (Destiny)/You, The Drifter/Female Guardian (Destiny)
Series: Taken tales [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1995658
Comments: 11
Kudos: 47





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> > Skyfall playing in the distance  
> > Mixing with Snake Eater song

“Drifter, what the fuck?”

You heard a sound of the bullet flying over your head, and your hands tightened on the grip of the gun. The sweat drop slid down your neck. Drifter’s face was showing a mix of concern, determination, and enjoyment of the situation. You were furious.

“What are we gonna do now?” you yelled on the side, looking at him. He grinned, coming out and shooting a couple of times. Then hid again, pressing his back against metal table that served him as a cover.

You were behind another table, your dress was absolutely torn apart and dirty, long skirt became mini, exposing holster of the gun on your thigh. Drifter got rid of the jacket and a bowtie a while ago, and he rolled the sleeves of his once white shirt. Your hair was messy, you tried to put it behind the ear.

Fallen were still shooting from afar, the sound of bullets almost piercing metal made you shrink and it was a matter of minutes until they’d throw a grenade or just ambush you and it’s all will be over. 

“Listen to me, hotshot,” Drifter yelled and pointed at backdoor, leading to the kitchen. “I’m gonna distract them, you run! Get the ship close to the window and pick me up!”

You shook your head.

“No way I’m gonna leave you here alone!”

“I’ll be fine, just do it, go!” He fired a couple of shots again, then took cover.

Your thoughts were a mess, but you had to act quickly.

“I will pick you up in three minutes, please be ready, for god’s sake!”

“Gotcha,” with these words he got up and started to shoot, while you ran to the door, half crouching. When you were almost next to it, you turned to see how he’s doing. He looked at you, smiling. Then got a bullet in his chest.

-24 hours before-

You could recognize this look on his face easily: he’s planning something. He tried not to show it but did it poorly on purpose for you to notice. “What a smartass,” you thought. Drifter was in his thoughts this whole last week, walking in the workshop without stopping even for a minute, drinking coffee you bring him and scratching his beard every time he checked schematics on the desk.

You were curious but respected his privacy and never looked at what he was doing with all these plans. But you couldn’t ignore him always having his eye on you, waiting until you finally ask what’s going on.

You built this trust between you, you were friends, lovers, and a crew. It took some time, some missions together, some sleepless nights and liters of booze. But now you were almost sure that he won’t kill you in your sleep. And only _that_ meant something.  
Eventually you gave up. At one evening you brought double espresso with whiskey, gave it to the man and nodded. He smiled extremely shady, you haven’t seen this smile ever before, it gave you a shiver. It’s something _big_.

-10 minutes later-

“You want to steal a SHIP?! Are you out of your goddamn mind?” You couldn’t believe it, your eyes widened, and you made a step back.

“Yeah. Maybe get somethin’ else valuable too - data or weapons.” Drifter made a sip of coffee, then pushed the plan of the place closer to you. “We enter here and leave here.” His finger outlined the map. “Easy.”

Then he spent hours, explaining the whole “easy” plan.   
First, the ship. Apparently, there were legends about it, built in the Golden Age by an Exo genius craftsman, it was the fastest and the most beautiful ship in the world. But the main thing was about the special stealth mode - no one could see or even hear it when it was enabled. At first it belonged to a famous Hunter, but he was killed and his ship disappeared. Drifter tried to track it for a long time, Black market included, until Spider sold him the information where to find it now. 

Second, the target. A Fallen drug lord, Yarlis Dis Maahr, known by his absolute indifference about other Fallen and war in general, caring only about his money and possessions. Spider whispered some rumors that Yarlis used Dregs as test subjects for his new chems, and even tried to make drugs out of Fallen ether, stored in their heads. The guy also was really into expensive toys such as weapons, vehicles, armor, even paintings, and, of course, ships.

Third, the place. Like every cliche drug lord, Yarlis loved to gamble. And he did it with style, in the only place he could feel safe around others - a casino in the Spider’s Palace. Place, that made some filthy rich, and took everything from the others. Place, where all the shady individuals gathered, where sworn enemies played poker next to each other, where all the drinks were free and made you want to spend more glimmer, until you would be sucked dry. Then they throw you out like a garbage bag. Unless you ask about a loan, and this loan can be your own life.

The plan was not easy. It was playing on the fact that everyone knew Drifter and had their own reason to settle scores with him, but since Palace was non-battle area, no one had rights to start the fighting inside. That’s how it was going to be: two of you go in, play a couple of rounds, Drifter gets Yarlis’s attention, you steal the ship. Easier said than done.

“Why do you even think he will come this day?”

“He comes there every Friday for two years straight. The guy can’t stop, it’s his passion.” Drifter looked at you seriously. “I’ve seen people like that, sister, and I even was one of them. It’s a spiral, you can’t get out.”

“What if he is not going to be alone?“

“Oh, he won’t. That’s why we have to be cautious. I’m counting on your sneaking skills here.“

“You know I’m very bad at this, right?“

He scratched his head.  
“Then turn on your charisma,“ you rolled your eyes. “What? It always works on me.“

You chuckled, then regained your posture.  
“But how do you know the ship will be there?”

“I don’t, but lemme tell ya,” he pointed his finger on you. “Yarlis lives in the Tangled Shore, and we just have to find out where exactly.”

You imagined an amount of work that awaits you and gave a skeptical glance on Drifter. He looked excited, and no way he will let it go. You sighed.

“You are crazy.”

He smiled, and his eyes told you everything. He _is_ crazy.


	2. Chapter 2

-18 hours before-

Looking at yourself in the mirror, you felt very stupid. This black Asian-style dress was way too tight, the long skirt with two cuts was going between your legs, and one incautious movement exposed the gun on one thigh, and the knife on another. And the heels… You cursed; this all could blow up just because this dress was ridiculous. You fixed your hair and put on red lipstick. 

Drifter told you that Yarlis is no ordinary gambler, so he stays in the VIP area, that is even more strict than the main hall. This place was special: classy casino with suits and dresses, on every creature in the style of their homeland, even on Fallen. You chuckled, imagining Spider in a suit. The VIP zone was heavily guarded, there were eyes everywhere: waiters, bartenders, dancers and security. You had to play on their rules and be nice kids. 

When you came out of the room, Drifter still was not ready. You looked at the clock, it was almost time to leave.

“Hey, it’s getting late,” you yelled towards another room. This apartment was too small for you two, since Drifter preferred to spend the nights here more often than on the Derelict. His stuff was everywhere - a lot of gun parts decorated the dinner table, containers with god knows what were now chairs, his clothes were neatly folded on the couch, but ashtrays… let’s say, there were not only on your side of the bed. Damn, you even had a Vex head in the bathroom, and you never had the courage to ask Drifter why it is even there.

You heard footsteps and turned towards the sound. What was in front of you nearly made your heart come out of the chest.

“How do I look?” Drifter fixed cufflinks on his jacket, then looked at you. You could swear his face was exactly the one you had right now.

The Man with No Name was standing in front of you having a full classy black suit. It was slightly tight on his arms, he was quite defined; white shirt contrasted well with his skin, the bowtie on the collar looked a bit funny, headband was still on, and shiny black shoes completed the look. 

It took you some time to find words, but Drifter interrupted:

“I’d take ya right here, hotshot,” you swallowed. There was a familiar fire in his eyes that made you tremble. “Too bad we have to go.”

“You are… fucking hot, I have to admit.”

He grinned. You licked your lips, then picked up the purse. There was a lipstick, emergency flask, tissues, lockpicking set and a mirror.

“I’m going to feel myself naked without my armor,” you said. “What if things will go south?”

“Ahh, don’t worry,” Drifter shrugged. “What’s the worst that could happen?”

-16 hours before-

While going on the Tangled Shore, you asked Drifter how he got invitations to the VIP zone. He waved away:

“Some people were in debt, I just let them out of their misery.”

His answer left you wondering if there’s a lot of people like that. He turned to you on the seat, giving an appraising glance on your clothes. Again. He did it every ten minutes, all this time you were sitting inside of your ship, going to the Spider’s Palace. You could almost see the comic bubble above his head of what he’s thinking. You could say you had the same thoughts about him, but they got interrupted by your Ghost:

“We are here.”

You nodded to Drifter, and he let the ship arrive on landing zone of the Palace. It was a huge hangar, full of other guest’s ships and you couldn’t see the end of it.

“How we will find the one we need?”

“I guess, we’ll have to ask the guy ourselves.”

#

You felt eyes on you both, the receptionist took your invitations and while she was checking them out, every other guest watched you closely. They were not very happy to see Drifter, that’s for sure. Hands were almost reaching their guns and only the law of the Palace stopped them from starting a fight. Without an armor you felt yourself like you have a red target on your back, but Drifter seemed calm and even careless. He joked with a receptionist; Fallen Vandal woman was obviously not happy to do this job and listen to a weird bearded guy, so she finished checking the invitations and called a VIP manager, who was actually a human. He bowed and asked you to follow him.

The Palace was divided on two parts - lower levels and top floors. You were ready to see the casino, but manager took you upstairs. Long corridors with old red carpet and bright lamps led you on the last floor. Manager bowed again, saying that you’d need anything, just let your Ghost call to the reception. After he left, you looked at Drifter with confusion, he winked. 

“Invitations are VIP, so they include everythin’,” with these words he pushed the button, and double doors opened in front of you.

The room was enormous. First that you could see in front of you was a big bar stand, with a lot of shiny drinks on the glass shelves. On your left was a poker table, probably for private games, a big white leather couch in a shape of a gate. A big low coffee table made of marble, a lot of carpets and pillows around. On your right you saw a set of stairs leading to a giant king size bed, in your head you thought “I don’t want to fall from that.” There was also a big window, giving you a panorama of the Tangled Shore. Not the best view with all this opulence.

Drifter whistled and it took you out of trance. You turned to him.

“I thought we are here on the mission.”

“Yeah, but we’re a bit early, so what about we have some fun?” He removed the bowtie and walked to the bar. You just couldn’t not stare at how good his pants looked on the back.

“Early?”

Drifter picked up a bottle and looked at it appraisingly. After a good minute, he chuckled and nodded, took two long glasses, and, like a virtuoso, filled them with a deep blue drink. You remembered stories about his bar. Sometimes he talked about the past days, but stopped quickly, almost like it hurt him to remember. You never forced to continue.

You sat on the bar stool in front of him, your dress got treacherously stretched on the buttocks. You fixed it, cursing in your head, and took the glass; the drink was dark blue, and you could swear you saw tiny stars in it. 

“Let’s have fun then,” you cheered with the man and made a sip. It was a bit sweet, and these stars tasted like sour pop rocks. You noticed that the drink changed the color, now it was turquoise. The more you drank, the more it was changing - to green, yellow, and in the end white.

“Care for a good round of cards?” Drifter went around the bar and came closer to you. You were finishing your drink. “We have time to prepare for a big show.”

“How can I trust that you won’t cheat?” 

“Drifter’s promise,” he grinned. You knew he will cheat.


	3. Chapter 3

-13 hours before-

You dropped the heels from your feet and stretched the toes under the table. After a good amount of cocktails Drifter offered, you couldn’t even stand on your own, not talking about heels. You looked at the poker table in front of you: a lot of empty glasses, bottles, your purse, guns, cards and chips. Drifter was winning so far, but since it was more of a “who will cheat better” game, you knew how to pull the win through. You liked to gamble and learned how to cheat from the best. There was an underground gambling parlor at the Tower, away from Vanguard’s eyes, where you liked to spend a couple of evenings in a month. Every time you went there, people were losing a ton of money, but no one could catch you red-handed, and you used this opportunity well. When you dropped the bounties, gambling became your only source of income. Watching you play, Drifter was nodding in approval, but of course he knew all your tricks. Later he taught you some of his, but not everything, letting him win at the moment. 

He watched his cards closely, thinking of next move, and you decided to make his life harder. With your foot in stockings you reached his leg under the table, and he took his eyes from the cards. 

“Watcha doing, hotshot?”

You didn’t answer. One your hand was holding cards, another was on the table, propping up your smirking face. You moved the foot a bit higher, between Drifter’s legs. He got tense.

“Tryin’ to get me distracted? Smart move,” he finished the rest of the drink he had next to him. 

“I see it works,” you caressed his crotch, enjoying seeing him to try to save serious face, but changing to lustful with your every move. You could also feel his growing excitement. 

Drifter looked back on his cards and chose one, smashing it on the table. You peeked at it just for a second, picked one from yours and put it above his, elegantly, and with obvious mocking. You crushed him; it was your win. You gave him an air kiss.

He looked at it silently, then got up, went around the table, and threw everything it had on the floor. You were left with a couple of cards in your hands and a confused face.

“Come on, don’t be mad, it’s just a game-,” you couldn’t finish your sentence, because Rogue Lightbearer picked you up and threw you in the table. Your cards went flying in the air.  
You were sitting there, with your legs spread and just the dress was between them. You reclined with your elbows, and you could feel this green material that poker tables are made of. Drifter was standing right in front of you, with his eyes dark. He put his hands on your thighs and pulled you closer, to his hard part.

“Nothin’ can distract me from the game, hotshot,” he removed his jacket and put it on the chair. “But you did, and I lost. I never lose.”

His hands were reaching to the belt. You got up a bit, coming closer to his face, looking him right into the eyes. 

“And what are you going to do? Punish the winner?” you bit his lower lip. He put his hand on your waist and pulled you closer, his front against yours. Your breasts were pressed to his chest, your legs around him. 

He kissed you hard, you felt like drowning in it. He played with your tongue, and it was messy, leaving the trails of saliva around your mouth. You could feel his beard tickling you, his hand going down to squeeze your butt, he was melting you. Then he went to your neck, you felt pure electricity going through with each bite and lick he gave you. He obviously enjoyed these soft moans you were making, reaching your crotch with his fingers. You were already wet.

“I didn’t know I make such an effect on ya,” he chuckled.

You turned away, biting your lip.

“You knew.”

His fingers were right there, sliding between your lips, playing with your clit. Your breath became deeper, breaking every time Drifter touched it harder. He watched you, proud of his work. What a sweet revenge.

“Yeah, I knew.” 

He let his fingers in and muffled your moan with his kiss. You bit his lips again.

“What are you doing to me,” you breathed hard, looking at him, and with every push inside you, it felt like a lightning going through. 

“I’m gettin’ my win back, hotshot.” 

He unbuckled his belt and unzipped the pants. Then moved away this piece of the dress between your legs, exposing another hand full of your fluids, and you could see his fingers keep fucking you. The more you watched it, the more you got excited, this feeling down your stomach was there all the time, leaving you breathless. Then he took them out, licking what’s left on.

You watched how he entered you, his length going in, fully, slowly, sliding inside. You both moaned at the same time, your legs spread wider, and your back arched. You could only feel the deep pleasure while he moved inside of you, and his eyes, burning you alive.

Kissing him again, your hands squeezed his shirt. He pushed you away, willing to watch you from afar. You laid down on the table so he could see you fully; your hair was everywhere; your nails were leaving marks on the green textile. You whispered something.

“Watcha sayin’?” Drifter slowed down for a moment. He knew what you said, so you just exhaled in anticipation. “You have to ask nicely.”

“Harder,” your tongue was not working right.

“Beg.”

An electrical excitement went through you again and ended down your core. You love when he talks to you like that.

“Drifter, please…”

“Please what?” He pushed himself in, rough, then stopped again. You gasped for air.

“Please, fuck me harder…”

He grinned. 

“Good girl.”

He did what you asked him to, fucking you senseless, enjoying your shameless moans and seeing you leaving trails of your nails on the table. You belonged to him. You saw a glimpse of his face, it was full of pleasure and lust, he was groaning, breathing loud and cursing. His pace became faster, you almost couldn’t feel yourself, only the growing need for release. He felt it, he could read it on your face and noticing you being a bit quiet right before you cum. He let you do it. 

You bent on the table, cumming hard, with a primal moan leaving your mouth. Your whole body shook, you gasped for air, but this whole time not breaking the eye contact with Drifter. He was on the edge too, but kept pounding you, making your orgasm longer and enjoying you a bit more.

When he slowed down a little, you licked your lips, looking at him. He raised an eyebrow, but quickly understood what you wanted to do. Lightbearer helped you to come down from the table, and now you were in front of him, on your knees, ready to finish the work.

At first you licked his tip, savoring your own taste, then slowly took it all in. He groaned. You were sucking him slowly, helping with your hand, teasing. Your eyes met his, he was breathing loudly, in anticipation, the fire in his eyes was burning you whole.  
Suddenly, he grabbed your hair and forced himself into your mouth, reaching the end of the throat. You were almost choking, but you loved his control over you. He owned you. You heard him moaning, and he closed his eyes while fucking your mouth. He became erratic, and when you felt him almost cumming, let him out. You saw him open his eyes, and he came on your tongue and lower face, his fluids were all around your mouth, and you could bet you’ve never seen this look on Drifter’s face. It was one of his wishes, you could say. You swallowed what was on your tongue. He whispered, “oh fuck”.

It took you both a moment to catch your breath, then you picked up the purse on the floor, reached for the mirror and tissues and wiped the rest from your face. 

Drifter zipped his pants and helped you get up. Then hugged you tight, giving your lips a soft kiss. You didn’t need words, you felt how much he is into you and everything around your relationships. You felt the same, and you kissed there for a good amount of time, enjoying each other’s fading lust.


	4. Chapter 4

-10 hours before-

You helped Drifter put his bowtie back and fixed your lipstick. He gave you a hug before pressing the button to open doors, and his face was serious.

“We gotta be careful, Yarlis is already aware that we’re here. Word travels fast.”

“Does he know you?”

Drifter scratched his head.

“Let’s say we’ve crossed our paths before.”

“Is he mad at you?”

“Maybe?” He laughed nervously and pushed the button.

VIP manager was already waiting to escort you to the private hall. While following him, you took a set of stairs, three or four long confusing corridors, until you entered the main casino area. You almost felt like the music stopped for a moment, and everyone just stared at you, walking in these classy suits, reckless. You peeked at Drifter’s face, he was frowning, his lips became one tight line, but he never let himself look around. You tried to do the same, but the amount of pressure made you feel even more nervous. You were almost on your way to the gun, when Drifter carefully touched your hand, shaking his head in “no”. You exhaled and kept walking.

The hall was long, dim lights hid the real size of the room; you couldn’t see the ceiling. Gambling tables were everywhere, and you saw who occupied them: a lot of Eliksni, Scorn, shady Awoken, Exos, you even saw... Vex? You couldn’t imagine what happened to them so they found their way to the gambling parlor.

Manager led you to the wall with yellow curtains and opened them from one side. Behind was a giant glass door, but you couldn’t see anything inside, only the light coming from there.

“I want to remind you, that weapons are prohibited in the VIP zone. I know you have them on you, but our policy is to trust guests and believe they are capable of following simple rules inside our establishment. Any violence towards guests or personnel and you will face painful consequences. No exceptions. Behave and good luck.” With these words the manager opened the door, and the music started again. Upon entering the room, you whispered “thank you” to him. He bowed and closed the door behind you.

This room was different, looked more like a very fancy diner. Every place had walls around it so guests couldn’t really see each other. There was a stage, where five people played the music on real instruments. Two Exo men played at the same time on weird modified drums, a Scorn stalker had a guitar with two necks, a Human guy was holding a half-electronic saxophone, and an Awoken woman sang a slow jazz song.

On another side of the room were gambling tables: classic poker, baccarat, blackjack, roulette, and games from other planets, most of them you didn’t know. The whole place was colored purple and silver, some of the tables were hidden behind curtains, giving players inside some privacy. You saw a lot of beautiful women in dresses with a flower pinned to their chests.

“They work here as hostesses,” Drifter said, noticing you watching. “Entertain customers, talk to them, drink with them, making’ them feel interestin’ and shit like that.” He thought about something for a second. “You could be a murderer and have all the money in the world, but all you really need is an approval in someone else’s eyes.”

One Awoken woman with white flower came to you. She was stunning, her light blue skin was almost glowing, you noticed some glitter on her shoulders and cheekbones. She had a bob haircut, her hair was white, just like her eyes. Black lipstick worked well with her also black silk dress, it looked more like a chemise. You noticed a spider pendant on her neck.

“Welcome, my name is Nex, I will accompany you tonight. Please follow me to your seats.” Her voice was soft, and you could hear a slight accent, but couldn’t say which exactly.

She led you to one of the tables, and while you walked, noticed that no one paid attention to Drifter. He also looked slightly more relaxed. The Exo waiter was already there, waiting for your order, and you got two cocktails of the day.

You sat on a soft purple couch, it nearly made you drown in it. You saw Drifter chuckle and gave him a frown. Nex sat next to you and asked:

“Are you here to drink and relax or you want to play a game?”

You looked at Drifter.

“Actually, we came to meet a friend. Is Yarlis here already?”

Nex gave him a shiny smile:

“Oh, Yarlis is your friend! Yes, he is here, do you want me to inform him that you arrived?”

“No, not yet. You see, we haven’t seen each other since a while, and I want to make it a surprise.” Drifter chuckled, but Nex hadn't noticed.

“I see! If you need any help with that, just ask me when you’re ready.”

Your eyes met with Drifter’s for a second. He nodded softly, and you turned to Nex. She looked so pure, but you had to make her do what you want. You moved a bit closer.

“You know, we really need your help,” you touched her shoulder lightly. “We need to know his table.”

She got tense.

“I’m sorry, I can’t tell you, our policy is to not-“ you put your hand on her thigh. She looked at you, but your smirking face could tell that you don’t care what she will say next. Nex looked confused, she clearly was a newbie here, and it looked like she never got attention from another girl.

“Maybe we can make a deal,” you whispered in her ear. You could hear her exhale, and her fingers squeezed the couch. She looked very embarrassed, and you could say she blushed, if Awoken even could do that. Your hand went slightly up, touching the end of her dress.

“Okay, okay! I’ll check his table, but please, don’t tell anyone I did that,” Nex jumped out of your grasp, leaving you sitting in the same position alone.

“Thank you, sweetheart,” you winked at her, she looked down with panic in her eyes and left immediately.

You turned to Drifter, he looked amazed.

“You did a good job, lady Charisma,” he took out his cigarettes. “I even got jealous for a moment.”

You sat closer to him and put your hand on his chest:

“I’d never do that to you.”

He turned, and his beautiful blue eyes with little wrinkles were right in front of yours. You could die for them.

This moment was interrupted by a waiter, who brought you drinks, and Nex came right after.  
“It’s table 24, close to the stage. Yarlis loves live music,” she tried not to look at you. “If you’ll excuse me, I have important thing to attend to.”

You could see that she just tried to escape, so you got up. Nex shrink, but you just took her hand in yours, and said softly:

“Thank you, Nex, you were a great help.”

She looked at you with a relief, gave her best shiny smile and then left.

Drifter put out his cigarette and you finished your glass in one big sip. Back to work.


	5. Chapter 5

-8 hours before-

Nex hadn’t noticed how you stole her flower, so the new plan worked well so far. You and Drifter split - he didn’t want Yarlis to see him - and you had to play the role of a hostess to distract him. You looked on the far end of the room, table 24 was a gambling one, and a Fallen Captain was sitting there with his friends. You thought for a moment, “Does he speak English?”, then saw a waiter taking his order and hoped that he did.

You pinned a flower to your dress and unhesitatingly walked to the table.

“Hello, I’m here to help your hostess, my name is-“you couldn’t finish, because Yarlis interrupted:

“Well hello, sunshine. We sure could use a company of a beautiful lady like you,” he had an accent and spoke slowly, but his voice was friendly.

You smiled and bowed a little, happy that he so easily took the bite, and one of Yarlis’s friends let you sit close to him. You noticed a lot of golden rings on his every hand, one held cards, second had a drink, third and fourth were free. Two Fallen vandals were obviously his security, and other people behind the table were Exo and Human men. Exo had only one eye, his clothes looked torn apart; Human was black, with cheekbones sharper than a razor, and his eyes were eating you alive. You felt extremely uncomfortable, but Yarlis gently touched your arm.

“Don’t worry, love, my friends and I here just to enjoy ourselves and the evening. Tell me, I’ve never seen you here before, are you new?”

“Yes, it’s my first shift, actually.”

He nodded.

“I see. Though I don’t understand why they asked you to join _us_ …” Your heart skipped a beat. “But I’m glad they were smart enough to not hide such beauty.”

You couldn’t say if he was serious, flirty, friendly or mocking. You never had such close contact with Eliksni, except when killing them. Yarlis felt that.

“It’s okay, my dear,” he made a sign to a waiter. “Let’s relax and enjoy the night, shall we?”

You thought about how Nex looked happy when you mentioned Yarlis in front of her. He was not what you expected: a gentleman, polite and calm, and obviously had a charisma that he used _really_ well. You didn’t feel threatened, at least not from Yarlis. You couldn’t believe that this guy was a real drug lord, forehanded and cold, killing his own species to make more chems and having a ship that almost became a ghost story.

“You are awfully quiet; did we scare you?” His voice brought you back.

“I’m sorry, I was just looking at your rings, they’re gorgeous.”

“Ah these? Sunshine has a good taste I see.” Yarlis looked at them on one of his free hands. They shined so bright that they could blind you. “You have a quite beautiful piece yourself.”

You still had a snake ring, Drifter’s gift.

“It’s not as fancy, but very dear to me.”

Yarlis put one of his cards on the table. Exo whistled, and you could hear Human guy’s heavy breathing. The game was not on his side.

“I understand, I too like items with history and emotions attached to them.”

“Do you have a lot?”

You heard Vandals chuckling. Poor naive girl, she has no idea who she is talking to. But you knew.

Yarlis sighed.

“In fact, I do. And I’m always searching for more.” He sounded sad for some reason, so you tried to light up the mood.

“Well, you are lucky today, because you've found me!”

That was stupid, you regretted these words instantly, and this awkward silence after was suffocating. Suddenly, you heard Yarlis laugh.

“Sunshine, you are so pure, it makes my heart flutter,” he gave you a drink that the waiter brought and cheered. “For you, dear, I’m glad we’ve met you tonight.”

You drank. It was a strange red sour drink; your head became a bit dizzy. You thought, “What if they put something in it?” Then got mad at yourself that you didn’t think about this before. Yarlis read your thoughts.

“It’s safe. If I wanted to poison you, I’d not do this in front of everyone, right?” His voice now felt softer, and his accent was gone. “It’s a cocktail from the place I was born.”

That’s why you understood him better now. But you also felt way more drunk.

“Please don’t make me drink more, I’m not sure I can take it.”

He chuckled.

“Don’t worry, dear, good things in life come in a small package.” He put his hand on your thigh. You couldn’t move. “You will be _my_ package tonight.”

-4 hours before-

You liked him, as much as you could like a dangerous infamous Eliksni drug lord you’ve met just a couple of hours ago. You absolutely forgot about the mission; you were careless and hypnotized by Yarlis. He was charismatic, funny, but very noble at the same time. You had another drink of his, and you could swear at one moment you understood what Vandals were talking about between each other.

You smiled the whole time staying there with them; Exo and Human men left, and others came, and Yarlis was winning every time. You watched him closely - he was not cheating, he was just very good and lucky, and it made you tremble. Without noticing, you sat closer to him, his hand was on your leg, leaving little trails from his claws. He saw your gun, and even playfully touched the holster, but didn’t say a word. You felt like he liked it, this sense of danger, and you could say that he already knew that you are not a hostess. You too liked this feeling.

You would never believe that these species, these enemies that you faced every day, could actually have a heart. They could tell you so many stories and show you things that you’d never imagine existing. Yarlis always had a thing or two to say while you were drinking and playing, some made you laugh, others were so unbelievable you were sitting there with an opened mouth. For a moment you felt sad that the world turned everyone into killing machines and you lost this chance to know each other better.

“You look down, my dear,” Yarlis gently touched your cheek, and you turned to him. “What’s wrong?”

You looked in his glowing blue eyes, then thought that you never saw Eliksni without a helmet. It left you curious, but you decided to not ask.

“It’s fine, just thought about something.”

His hand on your thigh scratched you softly. You licked your lips.

“Tell me, sunshine. Maybe I can fix it.”

“Your stories reminded me about the one I was told a while ago. About a legendary ship, that could be a ghost if you want to.” You finally remembered about your mission and thought that now it’s the best time to ask. “You’ve seen so many wonderful things, but do you know it is true?”

It took him some time to answer.

“It’s true. I’ve seen it with my own eyes.” He was looking at your face, studying it, trying to find the lie you buried deep under your emotions about this Fallen. You gave him a shy smile.

“I wish I could see it too.”

He touched your lips with his finger, you didn’t even blink. Everyone behind a table watched you silently. One of the Vandals wanted to say something, but Yarlis lifted one hand in “stop” sign.

“You wouldn’t believe me, dear, if I said it’s here today?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think I accidentially fell for an Eliksni.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> > Tainted Love by Soft Cell playing

-3 hours before-

Eliksni drink made you vulnerable to Yarlis’s charm. He spoke to you in his language, still holding your face and your thigh, but this time you felt a bit of pressure. You couldn’t understand how it makes you feel.

“I can show the ship to you, love, but first,” he held your chin tighter, “I have to know who you really are.”

You looked at him with a drunk gaze, your lips were opened a little and your breath became deeper. Alcohol made your thoughts messy, but your senses sharpened, and for a moment you felt like there’s only you and Yarlis in the room.

His voice was soft but serious, and you could feel it crawling under your skin, it gave you a chill down your spine. Eliksni language was strange, but you understood that Yarlis just doesn’t want others to hear this information. He whispered:

“I really want to trust you, but so far all I know about you is a lie,” it left you breathless. “I’m giving you a chance to start over, sunshine.”

You put your hand on one that was holding your chin. His skin was weird, felt a bit like a reptilian, but warm and pleasant to touch. Golden rings were cold on his fingers.

“I want to start over.”

You couldn’t see it, but you knew he was smiling.

“Good. I’d take you already know who I am?”

“Yes.”

Vandals next to you understood everything, and became tense, listening.

“So why are you here?”

“I’m a treasure hunter, you could say.”

He nodded.

“Makes sense. That’s why you asked about the ship. What is your name?”

You looked down.

“I like when you call me Sunshine.”

He chuckled softly.

“That will do.” He turned to the waiter and called for another round of drinks. “Share one more with me, love, let me think what I should do with you.”

He let go of your chin and looked away, thinking. For the first time you paid attention to what he was wearing. He had a cloak with a furry top, like other Captains do, but it was colored dark red and gold. Yarlis never got up his chair but you could see he’s quite tall, maybe two or three heads taller than you. His helmet was big and clean, he was clearly not a warrior, or maybe took care of it often. On his arms you saw leather protection and pieces of armor, between you could see bits of his skin. You wanted to touch it but forced yourself not to.

You stayed like that for some time, too afraid or too drunk to move, you couldn’t say. You thought about Drifter, he was not making a move until you gave him a signal. But where was he? You gave a look to the room; people were playing and having fun, jazz band changed on dancers, they were ridiculously undressed. You looked at the bar but couldn’t find Drifter anywhere. While trying to not panic you looked behind, but heard this low voice again, and it felt like electricity pierced your body.

“Looking for someone?” Yarlis was right next to your ear, it made your hands shake.

“I was searching for a restroom, that’s it,” your voice trembled treacherously.

“It’s this way, sunshine,” he pointed to a corridor next to the bar. When you were ready to get up, he grabbed your thigh, his claws were not gentle this time. ”Don’t try to run, love. I’m not your enemy, and I enjoy your company. Don’t break my heart.”

His voice was calm but slightly mocking, and his hand went a bit up your leg, only _that_ made you feel terrified. You met his eyes but couldn’t say what exactly he wanted. You nodded and he let you go.

“I will be waiting.”

You didn’t remember how you reached the restroom; your head was spinning because of the drink and this time you felt really afraid for your life. Locking the door behind, you called for your Ghost.

“Guardian, what happened? Your life readings are on the edge!”

You told him to not appear until you call him yourself. So now you heard his robotic voice, and it was mad, but it was something you knew very well and it took your back into this reality. You shook your head.

“I drank an Eliksni cocktail, I can understand them now.”

Ghost scanned you quickly, you were leaning at the wall of a small toilet, almost losing consciousness.

“Stay with me, Guardian, I’ll heal you now. It won’t remove the effect completely, but you’ll feel a bit better.”

A small light from Ghost’s eye went through your body, and you felt nauseous. Happily, you were already in the toilet.

“Easy now,” his voice was concerned and soft. “You were drugged. One more drink and I don’t think I’d be able to help.”

You sat on the floor, trying to breathe.

“Call Drifter.”

“Already did,” as soon as he said that you heard the sound of the door smashing, and footsteps coming to your booth.

“Kid, you’re there? Answer me!” Drifter's voice sounded angry and… scared. He knocked loudly.

You unlocked the door and tumbled out of the booth. Drifter dropped on his knees right next to you, putting your head on his arms.

“How are you, hotshot?” He touched your forehead; you had a fever. “Tool, what’s going on? Fix it!”

“I did what I could, Drifter,” Ghost answered calmly. “She is weak, but she’ll live. Fallen gave her one of his drugs, her body is not designed for that.”

You touched Drifter’s beard with your fingers, his eyes were dark, and you were falling in them like in an endless pit.

“You are so beautiful,” you said. He frowned. “No, please, I mean it.”

He kissed your forehead.

“How much time will it take for her to feel better?”

“I’m okay,” you tried to sit yourself, but it felt like the worst hangover ever. “I almost got the information. The ship is here, but I still don’t know where exactly.”

“I don’t think it’s a good idea to continue,” Ghost said. You shook your head left and right.

“No, no, I’m fine. Let’s finish it,” you felt a wave of anger. Yarlis poisoned you. From another side how could you believe that the drug lord will play nicely? “Give me more time. I know how to make it work.”

Ghost looked at Drifter with helplessness in his eye. Lightbearer sighed, he was clearly blaming himself.

“I don’t know, hotshot, you don’t look so good,” he said slowly. You pinched his cheek.

“Thanks for the compliment,” you smiled weakly. You must finish this, Yarlis deserves to have his ship stolen after what he did to you.

Drifter helped you to get up, you washed your face and fixed your lipstick. Your pupils were still wide, and your senses sharp, but now you could think straight, and you had a plan.

“Please be around and wait for a signal,” you hugged Drifter, he smelled like a million cigarettes he smoked while watching you falling into Yarlis’s trap. He you could say he was angry, but he trusted your idea.

You thought that this man gifted you a new life and so much love you never imagined yourself having. And now it was your turn to make one of his dreams come true. This ship was more than a toy, it was an embodiment of your desire to make Drifter happy. Prove to him that you’re a crew, and nothing can stop you.

“Don’t do anything until I tell you.”

Drifter nodded.

“Be careful, hotshot.”

-1 hour before-

You came out of the bathroom and went back to Yarlis’s table. He won again and you whispered on his ear:

“Good job, you’re quite lucky today.”

He turned, you heard him chuckle.

“I always win.” He watched you sit; you could say he didn’t notice that you feel better yet. “Care for another round?”

The glass of red poison was standing there, shining in the lights coming from the stage. Dancers already left, so only the music was playing. You gave Yarlis your best smile, took his free hand in yours and put it on your thigh. His touch burned the wounds he left with his claws, but it only drove you crazier.

“I want to see the ship, where is it?”

He didn’t answer, his eyes pierced yours. You felt how his hand went more up, almost touching you where you wanted him to touch the least. But you tried to not think about it, and just looked in his eyes with the challenge, it made him grin.

“You take the glass; I’ll tell you the place.”

You smirk, so far he was playing just like you wanted. Without breaking eye contact, you made a sip, and at the same moment three things happened - Yarlis touched you _right there_ , saying the number of the hangar, and your glass exploded in your hand, because Drifter shot at it.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> > Mission Impossible theme

You fell on the floor, while other guests started to panic and run towards the exit. The security guards were already there, searching for Drifter, who hid behind one of the curtains. You looked around, Yarlis was already gone, and it took you a moment to remember what he said. “One, one, eight, seven B”, and your head resonated with a sharp pain. This drug is strong, but you must fight it. Though it all went wrong, Drifter’s shot was not in the plan.

Security started to shoot again, aiming at every curtain, and you ran, crouching, behind the table that guests turned over. You almost tripped on your dress, so you tore off the skirt and armed yourself. You felt a burning cut on your cheek and touched it with the fingers. Blood. Must be because of the glass. You also still felt Yarlis’s touch, it was almost like an ice melted on the hot skin. You exhaled and closed your eyes, trying to make your head stop spinning, when suddenly you heard Drifter taking cover next to you.

“Drifter, what the fuck? You were not supposed to shoot!”

“I ain’t gonna see you poisonin’ yourself for a fuckin’ ship,” he sounded angry. “We will find another way.”

He shot a couple of times, then went down again.

“What are we gonna do now?”

“You got the number?”

“Yes, yes!” You couldn’t imagine coming out of this situation.

“Then go get it and pick me up, I'll cover your back!”

“I won’t leave you here alone!”

“Do as I say, hotshot, now go!” He pointed on the door, leading to the kitchen, and you had to obey. It was the only way.

When you saw him getting shot, you waited for a minute to see how he got up from the floor. He took your emergency flask out of his shirt pocket and showed it to you. It had a bullet stuck in it.

“I’ll get ya another one, Drifter’s promise!”

You rolled your eyes, turned away and disappeared behind the door.

-Now-

The hangar was a mess, a lot of scared guests hysterically tried to fly away, but it was not possible. The staff couldn’t help too many people at the same time, so now it was just a crowd of different species pushing each other and yelling, while you squeezed through them, searching for the place you need.

You desperately tried to find the number that Yarlis gave you, until you noticed a VIP hangar, away from others, behind closed doors, and it had only three spots. “1187B, here we go!” you thought, pushing the door, and entered the dark room. After locking it behind, you gave yourself a breather. It was pitch black and quiet, and you turned around, listening.

The lights have turned on suddenly, blinding your eyes. You were standing in front of a giant blue ship, it looked like it had a texture of a waterfall. The shape reminded of a fighter plane, the nose was long and sharp that it could pierce the sky. It was marvelous.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” You heard a familiar voice and looked down. Yarlis and at least ten other Fallen were standing there, pointing their guns at you. Captain was unarmed.

You swallowed. He knew you'd come.

“Well hello, sunshine,” he spoke slowly, savoring every word like a candy. “I couldn’t wait for you to see it.”

“You drugged me.”

“I never forced you to do it, my dear. I thought we had fun.”

“You said it’s safe.”

“One glass wouldn’t do much. But you took two,” he chuckled. “You wanted to understand me. I'm flattered.”

You felt goosebumps on the back of your neck.

“You came for the ship, right?” Yarlis pointed at you, his rings shined brightly. With another hand he made a “come here” sign. “Drop your weapons, love, and let’s talk.”

Dregs and Vandals around you growled, waiting for a command to shoot, but for some reason you knew their Captain will not order them to do it just yet. You did as he said, slowly putting your gun and a knife on the floor. You were barefoot, the dress was torn apart just like your stockings, the cut on your cheek bled and you were still under the drug influence that made you not stand right. A pitiful sight.

“Good. Now I want you to come closer,” Yarlis spoke softly, his voice crawled under your skin, melting your brain, but he sounded almost sad. You knew you shouldn’t trust him, and slowly crossed the room, ready for being shot right there; Fallen were watching your every move. Your heart was ready to jump out of the chest.

“I’m not going to leave this place alive, right?”

When you approached the Drug Lord, you realized how tall he was. Watching you from the top down, he looked imperious, his eyes were sliding down your face and body. He gently touched the cut on the cheek, it left your blood on his fingers.

“Whoever did this, he was not careful.” He sighed. “I would never hurt this beauty.”

For a second you thought he really cared. But thinking of his words made you realize that you were just another toy for his collection, like a painting, or a ship. He noticed a change in your mood.

“My dear, I don’t want to disappoint you. We were here to enjoy the night until someone ruined it.”

“I want this ship and get out of here alive.” You had no time to hide your real intentions, Drifter was still waiting, and probably in danger.

A moment of silence.

“I know,” Yarlis lifted your chin and whispered, “I can make this happen.”

It took you by surprise, just like other Fallen were not expecting to hear this too.

“You… what?”

“Yes, sunshine, you heard me right.” His lower hand touched the back of your thigh, the wave of electricity went through your body. “There’s something about you… It makes my heart flutter.”

His grasp became tighter as he pulled you closer with another hand on your waist, his other hand’s claws were almost between your legs. You swallowed again.

“What do you want?”

“Oh dear, I want so many things,” he answered. “I’m a dreamer, you see. Always searching for treasures, just like you. But I also know how to share.”

His hand went down from your chin to the neck.

“Let’s make a deal, sunshine.”

Your body trembled while Yarlis touched you slowly, his claws cut your dress on the chest, exposing bits of tender skin, but he never went out of control. You were almost sure that he will use you right here, in front of his soldiers, but he perceived another goal - to watch you melt. One hand was holding your waist tight, restricting your movement; Yarlis was quite strong just like you expected top rank Eliksni to be. Second held your neck, applying just a bit of pressure. Third touched the skin through the cuts on your chest, and fourth was busy exploring your inner thighs. He was _very close_ , but never went up.

You felt powerless, breathless; he watched your face closely, until his fourth hand stopped, and he lifted it in front of you and him to see. His fingers were wet. You closed your eyes.

“I didn’t know I have such an effect on you, sunshine.”

You didn’t answer. You will forever hate this part of you that enjoyed it.

“Just say yes and the ship is yours.”

“What is the deal?”

He grinned.

“You’ll be in touch with me. I don’t want you to leave, robbing me of my ship and your precious company.”

You frowned. He wants you to be his… friend? You looked up to him, still being aware of what he did to you. About the drug, and about his touches. He made your body a mess, he woke up something inside you never knew existed. You were sure that it’s not just a company he wants from you, but it was possibly the only chance to play your cards well. And you could always make him lose your trail, right?...

“And you will let me go with the ship?”

“Yes, love.”

You knew you had no options; the deal was extremely shady. Yarlis either will keep his word now, or his dogs will shoot you on the spot. You nodded carefully.

“Okay. But you better keep your promise.”

He laughed.

“Sunshine, you are not in the position to bargain,” he let go of your neck. “But I like how you fight for yourself, it’s inspiring.”

You thought, “What a strange compliment.”

One of the Dregs passed Yarlis a small datapad.

“Call for your Ghost.” You had no idea how he learned that you were a Guardian, but decided to not ask and just did what he said.

Ghost silently scanned the datapad and disappeared. You were happy he hadn’t started a scene.

“It’s my feed, dear, please be kind to answer if I want to reach you.” He let your waist go, and without him holding you felt dizzy again. "And if you won't… I will find you."

Yarlis and his soldiers stepped out of the ship, and you went up the trap. You turned only when the door was closing behind you and met Captain’s gaze. You could bet he was grinning.

-20 hours later-

The dreams you had were colorful and trippy, Eliksni drug was still working, but at least it let you sleep. Drifter held you tight from behind, thinking of how much you suffered to make him happy. But did it really made him happy? It was not a victory in his eyes, and all he could feel is shame and guilt of getting you into this mess. Hours passed until he managed to fall asleep.

You woke up in the middle of the night to have a glass of water. While watching the Last City landscape from the window in the dark, you thought about this last adventure. After the sleep you always felt like past day’s events were less real. But the ship you left in Drifter’s hideout and cuts on your thigh were saying otherwise. You sighed, put the glass on the table and was almost ready to go back to sleep, when your Ghost appeared, informing of a new message.

Your eye twitched when you read it:

“Hello, sunshine.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading, it was quite a trip. The whole Eliksni thing was not intended at the beginning, but I liked the spice it brought to the story. I hope you enjoyed it too.


End file.
